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Brunant in World War I
Brunant was involved in World War I from 1915 until 1918. Brunant became involved in the spring of 1915, with soldiers' first action in the autumn. The war would be Brunant's costliest in terms of casualties, leading to a growing Brunant's entry From September 1914, there was much interest in the unfolding war in Europe. Many Brunanters, most notably King Johan II, sympathized with the Entente (Britain and France) against perceived German and Austrian aggression. Still, few in government or the military wanted a war. The economy was still shaky, the military was distrusted by some, and the war was not seen as Brunant's fight. Several events, like the invasion of neutral Belgium (a number of Brunanters had Belgian ancestry), and the death of six Brunanters in the sinking of the RMS Lusitania by a German U-Boat in May 1915 began to change public opinion. King Johan attended a vigil for the dead, which included 12 year old Emily Townsend of Carrington.The media made much of Townsend's death in the sinking, further gripping at the hearts of the populace. A protest of over 1500 people in Grijzestad in early August 1914 in favor of war was put down by the military, but the pro-war side was gaining traction. The change of sides by Italy from the alliance to the entente in spring of 1915 proved providential. Having Brunant's neighbors on the side of Britain (and Spain clearly neutral) gave the military the courage to suggest some sort of action. Prime Minister Van Liesneck and the Whites put forth a resolution for declaring war on Germany. The king had much to do with this; in his wish to step out of his mother's shadow and not be seen as close to Germany (unlike her), he made his pro-war views well known. On 9 May, he wrote that <>, and indeed those who advocated neutrality in congress found it increasingly harder to defend their views. While not as significant as in North America or Great Britain, the Lusitania did rouse a common national outpouring of sympathy for the allied cause at the least. Declaration of war On 10 May, congress passed and approved the declaration of war. The Whites won a political victory over the (mostly Liberal) anti-war factions and Johan asserted his leadership. In the late 1950s it became apparent through released documents that Brunant had been secretly engaging with the French and British, and the Foreign Minister, Baron Neyt, worked under the assumption of Brunant's entry as a fait accompli. Limited conscription was to be introduced, and in the meantime, many posters were produced to have Brunanters join the military for "Brunant and His Majesty". There were many popular acclamations for war by the public, with reports of up to 5000 people in Koningstad pressing the government to declare war. Many people in cities across Brunant, like Sint-Hendrikstad, Grijzestad and others celebrated throughout the night. Young men across the country began to enlist in significant numbers, though the military was not prepared to equip many volunteers. Western Front 1915 Plans had been made prior to the declaration on 10 May, and soldiers of the Royal Guard were near-instantly sent to Belgium, there to serve under the British command. Brunant's first action of the war was at the Second Ypres. 400 Brunanters took part in action at Frezenberg and Bellewaarde. At Frezenberg the 150 Brunanters fought bravely but there were only 36 survivors. At Bellewaarde there were 250 soldiers. On 24 May, the Germans launched a gas attack followed by rapid attacks. The Brunanters became unable to defend their positions and only nine soldiers survived from the infamous 8th Infantry Company. The casualties were deemed unacceptable in Brunant, and the king dismissed the company commander, Commandant Donner, to replace him with a more competent figure. Second Battle of Champagne was the first Brunanter action in France, involving the 1st Infantry Company, Royal Grenadiers and House Guards. At Champagne the gains were early on and minimal, and by 7 November there were 520 dead and 208 injured. For the rest of 1915 Brunant did not send more troops, as a consequence of such high casualties. Despite the high casualty figures, there was little opposition to the war effort.The only significant opposition was from various leftists and socialists, although rather minimal nonetheless. 1916 In April 1916, 2500 soldiers were sent to France, the largest single deployment by Brunant in the war. Soldiers were again sent in two groups, led by Prince Eugen as commander. Their first action was at the Battle of Albert, the opening stage of the ill-fated Battle of the Somme. On 1st July there were some 780 Brunanter casualties with many dead mowed down by machine-gun fire. By the 13th there were 1500 casualties, including 815 dead. Subsequent action on the Somme would occur in September at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, where another 600 would be injured or killed. The remaining troops were sent back to Brunant in November and December. 1917 No further Brunanter troops would be sent to Europe until the summer of 1917. 2800 men went to Europe, with most going in June and the rest in August. their first action was at the Battle of Poelcappelle in October 9. 620 men died that day but there were only 118 wounded. 1918 The Brunanters spent the winter at Ypres and saw action again in April 1918 (Battle of the Lys, during the German's Spring Offensive. A further 860 soldiers were killed (plus 450 injured) during April, after which the remaining troops were sent home. Brunant had plans to send soldiers for the spring of 1919, but were ended after the armistice in November. Royal Navy The Royal Navy's first action occurred in Rimini, Italy (16 June 1915) and involved Iustitia and Libertas, in Italy visiting Ancona, Venice, and Rimini. They were forced into port at the outbrek of hostilities and attacked during an Austro-Hungarian raid. Libertas sunk with 18 sailors killed. The ship was due to be retrofitted in La Spezia, but when Italy joined the war the naval high command ordered her to the nearest port to await orders. On 3 September 1916, Marshal von Reiber was hit by a suspected German U-boat, and launched depth charges to counter it. King Ambroos took part in Battle of the Strait of Otranto in 1917. She was the only Brunanter ship at the Otranto Barrage, and was engaged by the Austro-Hungarian destroyer SMS Balaton, who was able to cause significant damage to the King Ambroos, leaving her out of commission for the rest of the war. From then on, aside from transporting troops to France, the navy would be kept in port. Brunant's ports were mined, and from late 1915 further artillery was placed near the docks and other ready fortresses in case of a German or Austrian raid. None ever occurred, though there were noticeable shipping losses by Brunanter vessels, all sunk by enemy submarines. Home front 1914 to 1915 Brunant in 1914 was ill-prepared for war, with much of the populace wary of the military following the attempted 1913 coup and rumors of military involvement in it. There were many protests in favor of war, most on the side of Britain and France, and a few individuals, notably the Queen Mother and others advocating a more pro-German stance. Up until the outbreak of war, there was a sizable pro-neutral faction, which among others included the popular singer James Harris, who composed and recorded a popular tune called "The Neutralist". Soldiers were often used to break up pro and anti-war protests, sometimes using force. In the weeks following the declaration of war, there was a marked violence against some people of German origin and their property, though the King attempted to stop the damage. The military was used to prevent further damage and violence, though some soldiers may have parteken. The press was quickly censored as soldiers made it overseas, and only victories by the allies or Brunant were heavily publicized. Defense of Brunant With the declaration of war most Brunanters quickly backed the war, with many men enlisting. By the end of 1915, volunteers were reduced in numbers and conscription set in, being somewhat unpopular. Most volunteers resented the fact of being forced to stay in Brunant instead of sailing for France. As the threat of any German or Austrian attack was on the minds of military commanders, and they were ill-equipped to send and furnish so many soldiers to the front lines. Most conscripts were kept in Brunant, and until 1916 many were without proper equipment and were forced to use older rifles, if issued one. The soldiers were used for general security in cities, or sent to various fortresses and bases. Women and industry Unlike Great Britain and other countries, women were not heavily involved in war production. As there was a constant belief of a short war, even in 1915, Brunant's factories were not fully focused on war production. Civilian production continued as normal, unless the government required it for military use. End of the war At the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, Brunant was represented by Prime Minister Johan Anderson and the Foreign Minister van Neyt. Anderson sided with the French views in that Germany had to be punished and pay, and likewise much of the public demanded payment from Germany. Baron Neyt felt that the terms being proposed were too harsh, and the King subsequently announced he agreed with him. Brunant signed the treaty, though it was very vague when, and if, German financial reparations would be paid out to Brunant. The only guaranteed reparation (in Article 246) was the restitution of a Jan van Helsinger painting taken from the ambassadorial residence in Brussels.Furthermore Germany will return to His Majesty the King of Brunant's government the landscape painting by Van Helsinger, taken from the ambassador's residence in Brussels and sent to Berlin. This clause was much ridiculed by the press in Brunant, especially by 1922-23 when it became apparent no other reparations would come to Brunant. Anderson's government fell in October 1920, among the reasons being a postwar depression and the inability to secure anything meaningful from the Treaty of Versailles. Notes and references Category:History Category:Wars